I remember the first time I heard about the Summit— last year (2023). As we geared up for the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), we had a video call with fellow activists, and that’s when the UNFPA announced a year-long celebration. Instead of just being another one-off event, it’s set to weave itself into all kinds of advocacy spaces in 2024 and will end with ensuring the ICPD agenda is part of the great: SUMMIT OF THE FUTURE!  

After that call, I heard more and more about the Summit. More expectations were added to it, although no one really knew what exactly this was going to be. A summit? Of the future? Whose future? Who gets to decide? And especially, how relevant will this be in the context of decreasing legitimization of the United Nations and the impunity of war crimes that are livestreamed daily... Many activists were left wondering what the Summit would actually look like right up until just a few days before. And for some, the true meaning didn’t even become clear until after the event wrapped up! 

So, what was the Summit all about? In the UN's fancy terms, “The Summit was a high-level event, bringing world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future”.  

In my own words: This was a two-day event in New York that gathered high-level country representatives, hosted engaging panels and discussions –inside and outside of the UN- and served as a launch event for the new direction towards development outlined in the outcome documents (Pact for the Future with annexes Global Digital Compact and Declaration on Future Generations). It is important to note that these documents had been drafted and negotiated among States (with very very very few inputs of civil society) for the past year. 

What are your impressions of the event?
There were some interesting spaces that organisations and activists created on the sidelines of the Summit. Some more casual, others a bit more formal... Most of them only with civil society, and very few (and often restrictive) ones with decision makers. Some spaces were “radical” spaces, with people daring to re-imagine the future and what SRHR for all, including for young people, can look like. Many of these spaces were led by youth advocates, with strong voices and fresh minds, which was so empowering to see! 

CHOICE mainly dedicated its efforts to speak about feminist youth-friendly funding. In a time of shrinking civil society spaces and of regression of human rights, we believe that young people do not need to be empowered. The power, the imagination and the willingness to change the world is already something existing within young people. What we require right now is trust. Trust-based funding can create an environment for young people to create transformation in their own communities. We left this message on every platform we spoke, but we also know this requires continuous work in future advocacy efforts and we remain committed to this. 

Finally, this time New York felt more hectic than ever. Due to the high number of world leaders at the event the streets of New York were full of police and secret services from different countries. This did not feel like an event for the people, it felt like a display of power and influence. A good reminder that political leaders hold in their hands the power to decide over our bodies and lives and usually we (the bodies in question) are not aware and are hardly included in these discussions. Hence, why we need to continue advocating for meaningful and inclusive youth participation.

Unfortunately, the UN's spaces are still not accessible for young people from diverse communities. In your opinion, what role do high-level events like this play for Meaningful and inclusive Youth Participation?
International platforms like this one are very State-centric, leaving civil society with limited opportunities to make a meaningful impact. This is worsening with the rise of far-right leadership across the globe. For young people, these challenges are even more pronounced. Spaces for youth voices are smaller and scarcer... sometimes not prioritised by other actors even within civil society, or even worse: taken by those who claim to be youth-led or youth-centric but do not represent young people.  

For this reason, it was truly heartwarming to witness numerous spaces genuinely led by young people, as well as platforms dedicated to highlighting their voices. Many inspiring and impactful moments took place. One standout experience for me was an intergenerational dialogue that brought together feminists from diverse generations—those who fought for the adoption of the Beijing Declaration in 1995 and the younger activists now preparing to celebrate its 30th anniversary. This event moved me to tears, serving as a poignant reminder that we stand on the shoulders of all those feminists that came before us. To all those: THANK YOU and remain reassured that we won’t give up. 

To sum up... this Summit was a reminder of three things: